Swaantje Güntzel

Swaantje Güntzel is a German conceptual artist based in Hamburg whose work explores the complex relationship between humans and the natural world. For more than two decades, she has investigated the ecological and psychological consequences of human intervention in the environment, addressing issues such as climate change, plastic pollution, biodiversity loss, and the transformation of landscapes. Working across installation, performance, photography, video, and other media, she frequently collaborates with scientists and research institutions, combining artistic practice with scientific knowledge and critical reflection. Her work has been presented in numerous exhibitions nationally and internationally, including Hamburger Kunsthalle, Museum der bildenden Künste Leipzig, Schiller Museum Weimar, Bröhan Museum Berlin, Goethe-Institut Thessaloniki, Museum on the Seam Jerusalem, Österreichischer Skulpturenpark Graz, and Ystad konstmuseum in Sweden. Güntzel has received numerous grants including a research grant from the Danish Arts Council, a residency grant at the Ingmar Bergman Estate on the Swedish island of Fårö, and the RONDO Atelierstipendium awarded by the Austrian province of Styria. In 2015, she received the ars loci Art Prize of the Neuhoff-Fricke Foundation for the Advancement of Science and Art. In 2022, she was an Artist-in-Science at the European Space Agency (ESA/ESOC) in Darmstadt, followed by an Art Fellowship at the Research Institute for Sustainability (RIFS) in Potsdam in 2023–2024. She is currently continuing her artistic research into the visual representation and perception of the Arctic as a Fellow at the Hanse-Wissenschaftskolleg (HWK) in Delmenhorst.